The annual RAADfest conference in California features the world’s leading longevity experts and scientists.

This update from RAADfest 2022 is written for family, friends, colleagues and clients, with whom we hope to spend many more happy and healthy years. Its divided into three parts:

Lifestyle

In addition to living and working in clean air environments and engaging in plenty of exercise (the latest guidance recommends 1 to 2 hours per day of moderate exercise, plus a few brief bursts of high intensity activity such as sprinting or fast push-ups), as well as taking appropriate steps to avoid exposure to flues and viruses, you may choose to consider the following:

• Sun exposure – sunlight brings many health benefits, and skin should be exposed daily, but avoid periods in the middle of the day when the sun is at its maximum zenith

• Quality sleep – make your bedroom as dark as possible and avoid electronics in the room to achieve good quality sleep of at least 8 hours in duration

• Stress - take steps to reduce it. Methods can include regular meditation, yoga, creative endeavours, optimism, spirituality, gratitude exercises

• Keep moving - Being sedentary (e.g. sitting at a desk or laying on the couch for many hours) is apparently a recipe for disaster when it comes to living a long life. Get up every 30 minutes and walk around the room or do some jumping jacks.

Food and eating

• Consume ‘good’ fats – these foods include avocado, macadamia nuts, walnuts, oily fish, extra virgin olive oil

• Consume vegetables and legumes regularly – especially broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and brussels sprouts (all organic where possible). Legumes include chick peas, lentils, peanuts, green peas, kidney beans, pinto beans and lima beans

• Avoid, or reduce, foods that cause inflammation or glycation – these foods include red meat, processed meats, sweetened drinks and refined grains. Sugar should be avoided where possible, except where nature provides it naturally, e.g. in fruit (although its better to avoid fruits with high sugar content). Ideal fruits include blueberries, strawberries and raspberries, all of which are anti-inflammatory

• Don’t eat all the time (practice ‘intermittent fasting’) – on at least one day per week, keep all of your eating within a 6 to 8 hour window (e.g. fasting between 6pm today and 12pm tomorrow). Research shows that this technique can achieve the same benefits, including autophagy, as lengthier periods of fasting. The more you do it, the better it is, for example you could choose to eat only between midday and 6pm every day

Supplementation

In addition to a good quality multi-vitamin and mineral supplement, the following supplements/adjuvants, are in-vogue in anti-aging circles:

• Astaxanthin – this is a deep-red colored anti-oxidant, extracted from certain foodstuffs. Supplements can be taken daily to boost the body’s ability to cope with many types of toxins. More information is available here

• Carnosine - this amino acid acts as a free radical scavenger and is a powerful antioxidant. It also improves physical performance and muscle gain. More information is here.

• Curcumin - this bright yellow substance is extracted from turmeric root. It has significant antioxidant and related anti-aging properties. More information is here.

• Metformin – this is a long-standing (since 1957 in the UK) prescription medication for diabetes, and it may have considerable benefits for non-diabetics. Many anti-aging practitioners take one 500mg pill every 4 hours of waking time (but more than 2,000mg per day should probably be avoided). Some doctors will prescribe metformin for anti-aging. Start with a low daily dose (e.g. one 500mg pill) and gradually increase over time to avoid the common side effect of stomach upset. More information is here

• Resveratrol - this substance is a natural phenol found in the skin of grapes, blueberries, raspberries, mulberries and peanuts. It is an antioxidant and potentially an anti-cancer agent. Studies have shown that it extends the life of various species. More information is here.

• Rapamycin - although not yet tested on humans for its anti-aging properties (and therefore you may think this one is too risky to take at the current time), many practitioners in the anti-aging community are experimenting with rapamycin. The drug was originally developed as an immunosuppressant for transplant patients, but it has been shown to extend the life of various animals. More information is here

This round-up is kept deliberately short for ease of reference. You should of course do your own research on everything above, and your doctor should be consulted where appropriate.

Just for fun, try this reaction time test. Reaction time can be an indication of biological (as opposed to chronological) age.

Wishing you happy and healthy living!